


Even The Greatest Men Stumble

by Elenduen



Category: The Musketeers (2014), d'Artagnan Romances (Three Musketeers Series) - All Media Types
Genre: First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post Savoy, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-18 08:14:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3562589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenduen/pseuds/Elenduen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following the events of Savoy, Treville can not live with his part in the deaths of his Musketeers, even though it was at the orders of his King.</p><p>Feeling broken in mind and spirit, he tenders his resignation via The Cardinal, who realises what Treville intends, and sets out to stop him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This just came to me while watching The Good Soldier yet again.
> 
> I figure that Treville is a man of great honour and deep feeling, and would be very distraught by the events in Savoy, and would likely have a very hard time dealing with it.

Twenty Men

Twenty good and loyal Sons of France

Twenty fine soldiers, brothers in arms.

Twenty human lives destroyed.

 

Captain Jean-Armand du Peyrer de Treville sat at his desk staring at the names written on the paper before.

The list of men who had been lost in the snow of Savoy during the Dukes attack on them.

Some where the Sons of Noble men who would no doubt be at court demanding explanations from The King, who would look at them with pity, telling them in a monotone voice that he is sorry for their loss, and prays for the souls of their lost Sons.

Then he would pass on the explainations of why their Sons died, to Richelieu and Treville.

The Cardinal would have some carefully plotted lie ready, some silver tongued deception to soothe the ires of the grieving parents, and cover his own backside at the same time.

Treville would not know what to say, beyond offering his deepest condolences. 

What could he say?, that he had caused this?, that it was his fault which had brought about the deaths of Twenty men?.

Two lived, one now disappeared, a deserter, who had fled to save his own skin, and one now fighting for his life from the fever which ravaged his body.

Even if Aramis lived, Treville was not certain that he would be able to return to duty, after seeing what he had, surviving a masacre, Treville doubted that the sharp shooter would feel able to soldier anymore.

Perhaps he would retire to a Monestry, he had spoken of the Priesthood, having first attended the Seminary before choosing the Sword over The Cloth.  
Maybe now he would return to being a Priest, hand up his Sword and Pauldron, to done a Cassock once more.

 

Rubbing his hands over his face, Treville looked down at the letter he had written out, two letter actually, one for The King, one for The Cardinal.

The letter for The King was his letter of resignation, in which he gave a brief but polite resignation from the Captaincy, and returned his Pauldron back to His majesty where he hoped it would go to a more deserving Man.

The letter he had penned to The Cardinal was short, and not overly sweet.  
Treville was using him to go to The King, with his resignation and Pauldron, the letter was an explaination of why he would not be doing so himself.

"Well Emminence" he snorted raised his glass of brandy in a mock salute "It looks like you win after all".

He downed the potent liqure in one gulp and set the glass aside, rising to his feet, he folded his light blue cloak about his Pauldron, laying both letters on top of the bundle, and went to get his hat, and weapons.

 

The night air was bitterly cold out, yet Treville hardly felt it as he left the garrison, walking with a brisk determind pace to The Palais des Cardinal where he handed over the bundle and letters to one of the many Red Guards milling about the place, trying to look useful.

"His Emminence is in residence if you wish to see him Sir?" the Guard, Cahusac was`nt it?, Treville was`nt sure, said to him   
"I do not" the Captain replied "Just get those to him"  
"Very well Sir".

Treville stood for a moment watching Cahusac taking the letters and bundle to The Cardinal.  
Stood watching the men going about the business, talking in groups, sharing a flask between them, laughing over something or other.  
He watched how alive they were, how care free, how happy.  
He envied them, wished he could feel those things himself, feel for one more moment a brief shred of happiness, a removal of cares from hiw shoulders, but most of all, to feel for just one more moment, truely alive.

Life seemed to have left him, the moment the news of his fallen Musketeers had been brought to him, life had seemed to seep out of his body, leaving him now as nothing more than a shadow, a ghost passing through the world, soon to drift away and shortly there after forgotten.

"See you in Hell Richelieu" he spat at the Palasis before turning on his heel and heading for what would be his final destination.

 

Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, was sat at his dinner table, having dined lightly on beef broth, bread, and cheese.

Despite being able to afford the best foods money could by, and glut himself with excess of Henry VIII, gluttony was not among the Cardinals sins.  
When it came to food and drink, he preffered moderation, and self restraint, rather than over indulgence.

Which was partly how he had managed to maintain such a trim physique in his mid fifties, when most men, especially those who could afford rich foods, and strong wines began to add fat to their frames.

Sitting back in his chair he tapped his finger tips on the rim of his wine glass, venetian glass, very expensive, and beautiful.

Everything Richelieu owned was expensive and beautiful, he liked to suround himself with elegance, and finery, what was the point in having wealth if one did not enjoy it?.

Yes the Clergy were meant to live in wilful poverty, but he had yet to meet a Cardinal who did so!, and his excesses were not overly extreme, though pleanty would say otherwise, and accuse him of taxing the People into starvation just to add another wing to his palace!.

Little did the fools know, that the taxes were actually to keep the King on his throne, and surounded by the splender he so loved, and yet had only a childs appreciation of, seeming not to understand that the money to pay for such things had to come for somewhere, and did not grow magically on trees.

Tiredly Richelieu closed his eyes, already imagining what the next day would entail.

The first of many angry, hurt, and grieving Fathers would come to Court, wanting to know why their Sons had died in Savoy, and who was to blame.

Richelieu already had excuses, reasons, and sentiments ready for them, but the thought of delivering them tired him.  
Contrary to what was suposed, he did not end lives without shedding tears, and twenty lives, of good men loyal to The King were not lost without grief on his part.

Having to betray them, betray Treville, nawed at Richelieu`s soul, and festered in his heart like a canker.  
If there had been any other way to protect the Duchess, to snatch Cluzet, to prevent war then he would have done it, he would spared those lives, but there had not been, and what were twenty lives when compared with twenty thousand?, Savoy would have called upon Spain to support them, and France would have stood little chance against the forces, the marriage between Anne and Louis would have been torn apart by suspicion and emnity, no doubt Marie de Medici would have sourt a chance to return from Exile, and likly her degenerate younger Son from Lorraine, bringing further chaos with them, until the whole country fell apart.

"Whatever I have done, I have done for the good of France" Richelieu whispered "And God forgive me for the price which had to be paid".

 

Presently Cahusac came in carrying a bundle of light blue, and two letters, "From Captain Treville, your Emminence" he said bowing before Richelieu  
"Thankyou, you may go" Richelieu said taking the items with a frown.

His frown became deeper as he unfolded the blue cloak to find Treville`s pauldron wrapped inside, why would the Captain have given him his cloak and pauldron?.

A tiny thread of fear pulled tight in Richelieu`s heart, and his meal suddenly became heavy in his stomach, as sense of dread began to spread through him.

With shaking hands he tore open the letter addressed to him, and hardly managed to muffle the cry that wanted to escape his lips.

 

Cardinal 

 

You can congratulate yourself at last, I will not longer be standing in your way at court, or in fact anywhere.

While you maybe able to justify the deaths of my men, and wash your conscience clean of their blood, I can not.  
Prayer and confession will not bring me peace, and I will never be able to wear The Kings Uniform again, my worth for it`s high honor, is to be found wanting.

I am not a man who can live without honor, and so I find I can not live any longer.

I know you will find a way to explain this to His Majesty, will be able to twist fact and fiction to spare his feelings, so I leave you with my letter of resignation and go now to the only fate that is fitting for a dishonored man.

 

Jean-Armand du Peyrer de Treville.

 

Bile rose up in Richelieu`s throat, and he hardly had time to make to the fire place before he vomited, bringing up everything he had eaten and drank in the last hour!.

In his shaking hand he clutched the letter, the suicide note, Treville`s suicide note, his nails tearing through the paper and digging into his palm.

Suicide?, Treville!, why why?, did`nt he know that he was not to blame, but Richelieu, Cluzet, and Victor Amadeus of Savoy?, did`nt Treville know he was an innocent in this?.

Frantically Richelieu ran a hand through his hair trying to calm himself so he could think straight, this was no time for panic, if he were to stop the Captain from his quest to end his life, then he had to think clearly and act fast.

Where would Treville go?, where would he think a fitting place to end his life?, the garrison?, no, he had just given away his comission, he would not stay there, would not feel fit to be among his Men.

He would not go to The Louvre either, if only to spare His Majesty`s feelings, which would also leave out Notre Dame, the Basillica, and any other place of note.

"Where?, where?" Richelieu cursed pacing back and forth as he tried to think, "Where would a Musketeer go to die?".

The graveyard, the cemetary that was dedicated to The Musketeers, that was where Treville would go to end his life, to die amongst comrades already left this mortal coil.

Images of Treville, on his knees in the snow and ice of the cemetry, his face stoic, but his eyes glassy with unshed tears as he looked at the wooden Crosses before him, slowly lifting his Pistol to his temple and then.......

Richelieu burst into action, shouting for his horse to be saddled, for his cloak and hat, for his chambers to be prepared for when he returned, a fire stoked hot and bright, brandy, and sleep drafts ready.

Like a flash of lightning he was throwing on his cloak and hat and running out to the stables where his horse was only just saddled ready   
"Was Captain Treville mounted or on Foot?" he asked Cahusac who had returned to his post  
"On foot Emminence" Cahusac replied,  
"Excelent".

If Treville were on foot, then that brought Richelieu time, he could make it to the cemetry faster than Treville, could stop him before he...  
Richelieu grimanced, trying not to think of Treville`s lifeless corpse sprawled over the snow, blood, bone, and brain matter spraying out beside him, half his beautiful face destroyed by the musket balls exit from his head, his powerful battle hardened body cooling and turning hard as the ice about him.

This could not, must not happen!, Richelieu would rather put a bullet through his own head than allow Treville to end himself in such a way.

He had long ago admitted to himself that he had a fascination for the Musketeer Captain, a fascination, and a desire for him, which he had developed when Treville had been raised from minor Nobility and general soldiering, to being the Captain of The Musketeers, and started to make his presence felt at Court.

Between his fiery Gascon temper, never ending honesty and loyalty to Louis, brilliant blue eyes, and sculpted features, Treville was both alluring and maddening, sparking both irritation, and passion in Richelieu concurrently, the way no one had ever done before.

Treville was a delight to him, a man who could not be bought, or bribed, a man of integrity, and honor, something that was so rare in Richelieu`s life, he wanted to covert and cherish it.

Richelieu would stop at nothing to prevent the Captain`s suicide, and would personally see to it, that he was healed in mind, body, and soul from his beliefs that he was dishonored.

 

Treville was half frozen, his hands were turning blue to match his lips and the tips of nose and ears.  
The icey wind which blew through the graveyard chilled him to the bone, making his hands shake as he loaded his pistol for the last time.

On the ground before him his sword stood having been thrust into the ground as a marker, both left, right, before, and behind him lay the bodies of his former brothers, all dead, all gone to Gods house for service to The King, having died with honor and dignity.

Treville would not see them again, he would not go to Heavon.  
His suicide would send him to hell, where he would spend eternity in the halls of The Prince of Darkness, tormented and damned.

It was where he belonged now, the only fitting place for a man who had betrayed his own.

With a resigned sigh, Treville sank down onto his knees, the snow instantly biting into his flesh through his leather breeches, making his legs sting with pain.  
Slowly, with his hand shaking from the cold, his fingers all but numb with the blood have fled to more important areas of his body, Treville raised his gun to his head, looking straight ahead and refusing to close his eyes as he greeted death

"Forgive me Brothers" he whispered to the bodies of his friends "I was not fit to be among you".  
A single tear escaped his left eye to roll down his cheek, as Treville drew in and exhaled one last breath of ice cold air, his trigger finger tensed on the trigger, getting ready to pull back, lifting his eyes, Treville sourt out Venus in the night sky shining bright and clear, one last sight of beauty to hold onto as his life came to an end.

A single shot rang out in the graveyard, followed by an anguished cry as the pistol fell from Treville`s hand.

 

Richelieu leaped from his horse, his pistol still smoking from his shot, his aim having been true, and hit Treville`s pistol, knocking out of his hand and preventing him from shooting himself.

"How dare you?" Treville roared at him, as he aproached the broken man, "Can`t you at least grant me this one act of mercy?", choking back a sob, he lurched forward trying to reach for his gun, to finish what he had started, prompting Richelieu to throw himself forward and bodily pounce upon Treville who gave a cry like a wounded beast!.

"Let me go!" he bellowed fighting and squirming under the Cardinals weight, but cold was making his movements sluggishing, and unco-ordinated, allowing Richelieu to use his previous soldiers training to manhandle the Captain, get his hands above his head and pin them there, while straddeling him and holding him in place.

"Why?" Treville whispered the fight going out of him "Why?"  
"Because you of all Men do not deserve to die like this" Richelieu declared, panting from the exertion, and the need to keep from screaming and sobbing himself, "You have done nothing wrong, this is not your path Captain, you have not comitted any crime worthy of such an act",  
"I did" Treville whispered horsely, tears now freely flowing down his cheeks "Twenty men, Twenty!, so much life wasted, so much.......................I can`t live with that!, with this guilt!".

Growling with both frustration at Treville`s singular way of thinking, and anguish at the Captain`s despair, Richelieu shook the man beneath gaining his attention   
"The guilt is not yours, it is mine, and Cluzet`s, and The Dukes, we are the ones to blame, not yourself, never yourself"  
"I gave The Duke the information" Treville bit off "I signed the death warrents of my own men!"  
"NO!" Richelieu roared, tears now starting to fill his own eyes as he gazed down on Treville,  
"You followed the orders of your King, you acted to save France from destruction, you did what had to be done and saved God knows how many lives by doing so, you have no cause to blame yourself, and by God I will not allow you to do so!".

Treville was silent as the preverbial grave, the only sound was that of their breathing, their breath white on the frigid night air as the two men panted  
"Why would you even care?" Treville asked looking directly at the Cardinal "I would have thought you`d celebrate my death, not prevent it".

"Celebrate the death of the Best man I know?" Richelieu all but snarled "Make merry over his suicide?, try to think up some lie for The King so he would be spared the grief of your taking your own life?, if you think that, then you do not know me at all Captain"

"Are you saying you would grieve for me?" Treville snorted "I some how doubt that"  
"Doubt what you will" Richelieu stated "But you will not die this night, and I shall not let you out my chambers until you are in a fit state to be trusted with your well being once more!".


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankyou for the Kudos and Comments, they both help keep me writing

Getting Treville back to the Palais, des Cardinal proved to be easier than Richelieu believed it would be.

The Captain was so cold, that his body was too over come with the chill, making his limbs all but useless to him, preventing him from putting up any kind of fight against Richelieu as he manhandled the Captain up from the snow, and got him onto his horse.

Mounting behind him, Richelieu wrapped his arms secure about Treville`s narrow waist, and set off at a gallop, holding tight to the Captain who was rapidly loosing consciousness in his arms.

 

Arriving back at The Palais des Cardinal, Richelieu abandoned his horse to the grooms, while carrying Treville`s limp body in a fire mans hold, into his Palace, going straight for his private bed chamber.

His orders before departing to keep Treville from killing himself, had been carried out.

His bed was turned down, the sheets warmed by heating stones, which the Maids swiftly moved for him without a word, as Richelieu lay Treville down on the bed, biting his bottom lip at the blue/grey pallor of the Captains flesh.

"Wrap those stones in blankets and place them at his feet and his sides" he ordered, his hands, which was shaking with worry, going for the Captains doublet and undoing the leather, then the collar of his shirt beneath easing both off the body of the hypothermic Captain.

"A night shirt, get the thicket shirt I have" he barked to the maids who were in the process of reheating the stones in the harth and getting blankets to hold them.

One of the maids, hurried over to one of the many trunks in the Cardinals rooms, opening it up and began to search through the linen inside, pulling out a thick woolen night shirt which she wordlessly handed over to the Cardinal.

Snatching it from her, Richelieu lifted Treville up with one hand, while using the other to slip the night shirt over his head and shoulders.  
Laying him back down, he carefully angled Treville`s arms into the sleeves, and tugged the generous material down to Treville`s knees.

Under other circumstances Richelieu would have relished the opotunity to be reaching up to Treville`s breeches and undoing them, would have licked his lips in desire at the fact he found no under wear beneath the leather, only firm flesh, flesh that was far too cold, and desperately needed to be warmed if Treville was to live.

Removing the Captains, boots, and pulling off his sodden breeches, Richelieu dumped both on the floor, expecting the maids to deal with them, and instead went to his wardrobe, taking out a very expensive and luxurious ankle length robe of blood red velvet, trimmed in ermine, at the cuffs, collar and shoulders.

Going back to the bed, he lifted Treville again, and wrapped him up inside the thick warming robe, letting his fingers trail for just a moment on Treville`s high cheek bones, tracing over the scar just below Treville`s left eye wondering how he had received that wound.

He ignored the maids as the placed the heating stone back into the bed around Treville, and instead concentrated on tucking him into the bed, smoothing the covers over him and checking that the goose feather pillows were plumped enough to be comfortable, much like a Mother may do for a sick child.

 

"You are going to live" Richelieu whispered to the sleeping man, stroking back the thinning hair from Treville`s forehead   
"You are going to live, and you are going to get well again" he said firmly, his voice and his expression brooking no argument as he gazed down on Treville.  
A knock on the door, brought Jussac into his bed chamber, his Captain bowing low with a reverent "Emminence" from his lips.

"Captain Treville has been taken ill" Richelieu said with out preamble, there was no need to beat around the bush with Jussac, the man was a loyal as a dog to it`s master, would say and do anything that Richelieu ordered him to without a moments hesitation.

He had managed to earn Richelieu`s unwavering trust by his devoted service, and so Richelieu had no doubt that Jussac would do as he told him right now, and never question him at all.

"You are inform the King, and The Musketeers, that Captain Treville was taken ill with The Sweating sickness, and is now in quarentine here in my Palace under the care of my personal physician"  
"Yes Emminence" Jussac said, his expression never wavering beyond a glance at Treville in the bed before his eyes moved back to The Cardinal, "Is there anything else I can do?"  
"No, you may go" Richelieu replied getting up from the bed and going to the table where hot water and towels lay, collecting a bowl and one of the towel he went back over to the bed and began to gently wash Treville`s face as gently as a cat licking a kitten.

Giving him another bow, Jussac spun on his heel and began to leave the chambers when Richelieu called out to him haulting his progress,  
"There is one more thing"  
"Emminence?"  
"I want Yourself, Cahusac, Bernajoux, and Boisrenard on guard outside my chambers night and day" he said looking up at Jussac his face expressionless, but his eyes shining with determination mingled with concern and a trace of fear.

"You can pair up and take the shifts in turn, but my rooms are not to be left unguarded, nore is Captain Treville to be let out of these rooms until I say other wise".

At this Jussac did give a breath look of surprise, his mouth opening in a silent question, his eyes looking at the sleeping man which the Cardinal was tending to.

It was only years of service to the Cardinal, that kept Jussac from reacting further, and had him bowing and leaving the room, to carry out his master orders.

"The things I do for you!" Richelieu whispered, turning back to Treville, releaved to see that some colour was returning to his ashen cheeks, and his lips were becoming pink once more, "And of all the ways to get you into my bed!" he snorted without humour.

How many night had he lain here and allowed himself sinful dreams of what he would like to do to The Captain in this very bed?.

Too many nights to count it seemed he had spent himself on the sheets while imagining having Treville at his mercy, pinned to the bed, his long legs wrapped about Richelieu`s body, pulling him closer and deeper as Richelieu thrust inside him.

He had spent hours picturing the hot flushes spreading over Treville`s face, imagining the cries he would give in the throes of passion, delighted in imagining the feel of Treville`s hands caressing his flesh, the hot tight muscles of his hole clenching about Richelieu`s engorged cock, milking his balls dry, and spending himself hot and wet between them.

To have him here now, laying in Richelieu`s bed, a sick and broken man, intent on ending his own life, had never crossed Richelieu`s darkest dreams, though he believed that he would remember those horrific moments in the cemetary until the day that he died.

No matter what lengths he had to go to, what lies he had to tell, bribes he had make, he would keep Treville here in his chambers, safe from harm and see him whole again.

 

By morning the whole Court, and Musketeer garrison had been informed of Treville`s confinement in the Palais des Cardinal.

As Richelieu expected Treville`s Lieutenants had already come calling, demanding to see their Captain, and had caused several brief fights with the Red Guards already!.

It was not a surprise that they wanted to see Treville, the man was well beloved by all his men, and they were naturally worried about him, wanting to see him despite the threats to their own health.

The Sweat was a good lie, it was highly contagious, and gave Richelieu the convincing lie that Treville was in quarantine and would remain there until he was well again.

It also gave him an excuse to remain away from Court, citing confinement himself until The Physicians could be sure that he himself had not been infected, since he had been in close contact with The Captain when he had fallen ill.

 

Able to devote himself, now to the care of the Captain who was confined in Richelieu`s chambers.  
The Cardinal cleared his schedual, palming off all of his paper work on his numerous secetarys, and took himself back to his bed chambers where he found that Treville was not only awake, but was not happy about his captivity in the least.

 

Treville was roaring like an angered Lion at Jussac and Bernajoux, who stood steadfast at the door of the bed chamber barring Treville`s way, as the Captain snarled at them furiously.

"You can not keep me bloody prisoner here you pair of Dogs!" he spat glowering at them, "I am the Captain of the Kings Musketeers!, I demand that you release me this instant!", Treville`s fist hit the solid wood off the Cardinals door hard enough to make it crack!, and made both guards step back a pace niether wanting to be on the receiving end of one of those punches!.

Richelieu grinned at the sight of his Captain showing his Gascon temper, showing that he was still alive inside, and not as broken as he had been the night before, if Treville was still fiery enough to want to demand his freedom, then there was still enough fire inside him to make him live on aswell.

Schooling his features Richelieu made his way down the corridor to his chambers,  
"Now now Captain, theres no need for temper tantrums!" he said, sounding like he was scolding a small child, which served only to make Treville growl like a ravening wolf!.

"You can not hold me you Son of a Whore!" Treville bellowed at Richelieu, his eyes flashing like blue flames "You have no right to keep me here!".

Inside Richelieu`s heart danced at the insult and temper, though he kept his features expressionless and merely waves his guards aside and tilts his head looking at Treville who eventually steps aside and allows Richelieu inside, where he closed the door leaving the two men alone.

 

"Well" Richelieu said offering Treville a smile "Shall we speak like civilized men?, or would you prefer us to snarl like dogs and tear strips off each other?!!!"

"I tear your bollocks off if you don`t release me this instant!" Treville snarled furriously   
"So you can attempt to kill yourself again?" Richelieu rose an eyebrow at the seething Musketeer Captain before him "I think not", going over to the dining table, he noticed that Treville`s breakfast was untouched, and sighed, looking back at the Captain with a sorrowful expression on his face   
"I do hope you won`t force me to have you force fed aswell as held prisoner?" he asked "Starving yourself will not help matters, and will only make you weak and sick".

Treville narrowed his eyes at Richelieu, watching him the way a mouse might watch a cat, wanting to find out what it`s next move would be so it could plot it`s own escape.

"Come now" Richelieu said pulling out a chair for Treville "Sit, and eat, and we`ll talk"  
"I have no wish to talk to you" Treville ground out, clenching his fists at his sides, "I want to leave, Now!"  
"And as I have said, you will not be leaving until I am satisfied that you are no longer a danger to yourself" Richelieu replied sitting down himself, and reaching for the pot of coffee and pouring himself a cup "As far as The King, and everyone else is concerned you are here under quarentine having fallen ill with The Sweat, and you will remain here until you are well again", taking a sip of the coffee he shot Treville a smile "Now unless you wish to try and fight my Guards, and humiliate yourself by running around the Palace in nothing but my night shirt!, forcing me to have you dragged back here and tied to the bed!, I suggest you sit and eat and regain your strength!".

 

Treville ground his teeth so hard his jaw ached, and his nails were cutting into his palms as he sought to keep from trying to fight past both Bernajoux and Jussac and making a run for it, which was, considering where he was being held, likely to result in the humiliation that Richelieu had just described.

Looking very much like he wanted to rip the Cardinal into peices Treville sat down at the table and mulishly picking up a piece of Brioche and began to eat, slowly at first until his empty stomach realised it`s hunger after a too long fast urging him to finish the bread and move on to the sausage and bacon.

"Going to be like the Witch are you?" he grunted at Richelieu who was watching him with an unreadable expression on his face   
"I`m sorry?"   
"Hansel and Gretal?" Treville prompted "The Witch who held Hansel prisoner?, don`t tell me you never heard that fairy tale as a boy?"  
"I did!" Richelieu replied draining his cup and setting it back down on the table, "And I hardly think you could consider these chambers a cage, nore am I trying to fatten you up in preperation of eating you!"  
"It all depends on how you look at the bars" Treville replied reaching for the coffee "A guilded cage maybe made of solid gold and filled with all maner of delights, but at the end of the day it is still a cage", however he did shoot the Cardinal a brief smirk before adding "It`s a relief to know you`re not planning to eat me though!".

Richelieu barked a breif laugh at Treville`s words enjoying the smile, however momentary it was on the Captain`s face, wishing he could keep it there for longer.

But all too soon it was gone, and Treville was scowling again, as he sipped his coffee  
"Should you not be with The King?" he asked "The Nobles will be arriving soon I would think", Richelieu winced at the mention of the Nobles, the ones who would be comming to collect the bodies of their Sons, and demand explanations from their Sovreign.

"I too am under Quarentine until further notice" Richelieu said, "I was after all exposed to you when you fell ill"  
"Oh really?" Treville asked his voice dripping with sarcasem "I had no idea suicide was contagious!".

Richelieu made an ugly face at that, "A poor jest Captain, and hardly becoming of the Kings Musketeer Captain"  
"Not becoming?, I`m not the one who lied to the King and has abdoned him to face Twenty grieving parents!" Treville shot back slamming his coffee cup down with such force the china cracked!  
"No, you are the man who last night attempted to blow his brains out in a cemetary!" Richelieu said "If we are to speak of abandonment then I think you will find a finger pointing right at you".

"You bastard!" Treville snarled pushing up from the table and stalking away, his whole body shaking with anger and inner termoil   
"Thats twice you`ve questioned my parentage Captain!" Richelieu sing songed smiling when the glowering Captain turned back to glare at him "Perhaps you could come up with some other insult?"  
"Perhaps you could open the doors and let me go!?".

Richelieu sighed, looking down at the table, this was not going to be easy, but no matter how hard Treville made it, he would not give up, he would get Treville to talk, to unburden his soul, and heal his heart, and maybe, just maybe get Treville to see that he was not the complete Monster he was believed to be.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankyou for the kudos and comments, this fic is now completed and I`ll returning to work on my others.

At first Treville seemed content to mearly sit and brood, (Sulk).

He sat in the window seat, staring out into the snow covered gardens of The Palais des Cardinal.

The sun was shining, the sky as clear pale blue, making the snow look all the whiter with the sun light reflecting off it giving off an almost ethereal shine to the world.

Richelieu decided against trying to engage the Captain in conversation, and instead let him sit in silence, taking up a book himself to read, while glancing up at Treville every so often, sometimes to find that Treville`s piercing blue gaze had shifted away from the cold winter gardens, to stare at Richelieu himself.

For a brief moment their eyes would lock, Richelieu`s heart skipping a beat as the gazed into the azure depths of Treville`s eyes, imagining seeing them filled with lust.

The pupils dilated to the point where nearly all the blue was lost in a sea of passion rich black.

As Treville looked away, returning to gazing out the window, Richelieu continued to watch him, letting his eyes run over the sharp rise of his cheeks, the strong roman nose, and generous pouting mouth, allowing himself to picture his own mouth covering Treville`s lips, in hot deep kissess that would leave them both panting for breath, their mouths swollen and reddend.  
Imagine the becoming flush of pink rising up over the Captain`s pale cheeks as Richelieu thrust inside his body, filling Treville up with himself!.

Sighing deeply, and shifting with more than a little discomfort as his cock let it`s own feelings be known!, Richelieu forced himself to go back to his book, willing his body to calm it`self, since he had no intentions of filling the breeches in the manner of a pubescent youth unable to control such things!.

 

As the hours past, Treville grew bored with looking out the window, and began to prowl the rooms, much like a caged lion prowls it`s cage, snarling at whomever is stupid enough to get close, and getting ready to inflict as much damage as it can at the first opotunity.

 

After Treville had passed by his chair for the fifth time in as many minutes, Richelieu closed his book with a sigh, and looked up at the pacing Musketeer with a risen eyebrow,  
"You look like trouble waiting to happen!" he commented receiving a sour look in return.

"I understand you are likely bored" Richelieu said leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest   
"Would you care to share in conversation?".

"You understand nothing!" Treville shot back "And the only thing I would care for, Cardinal, is to be let out of here!".

"We`ve already been over this Captain" Richelieu said, slowly, as if he were talking to a child, and not a grown man "You will not leave here until...."  
"Until what!?" Treville suddenly exploded, his fiery Gascon temper coming out like a volcano blowing it`s top!.

"How long d`you think you can hold me here?" he bellowed stalking towards the Cardinal, his eyes blazing with fury "D`you want me to rip this place apart you insufferable Prig!".

With a single kick, the table Richelieu had been sitting at was booted over, taking with it three chairs, Richelieu`s book, a caraf of wine, and glasses, to shatter and smash on the floor spilling their contence in a river of red.

Though his heart was racing in his chest, with both excitment, and a little thrill of fear, Richelieu outwardly displayed no emotion at all at Treville`s show of anger and act of violence, and mearly rose a hand dismissing his guards as they burst in, weapons drawn.

"Well Captain?, will you fight two armed guards, bare foot, and weaponless?" he asked, once the guards had left, allowing a small smug smirk to play over his mouth "Or will you continue to behave like a toddeler having a temper tantrum?".

Treville gave a wordless snarl, and siezed Richelieu up by his shirt collar, getting right in his face   
"You let me out of here right now or those Dogs of yours will be picking up your remains for a month!", with his teeth bared, face flushed in temper, he looked both frightening and arousing, adding futher fuel to Richelieu`s ardor, 

Lifting his arms, he placed his hands over Treville`s wrists feeling the steady, if slightly elevated thrum of his pulse   
"I do not believe you would murder a Man of God" he said slowly and with utter calm, despite the seething man who`s hands were just inches from his throat.

"A man of God!" Treville snorted without mirth "You could`nt be a man of God if you tried!" he spat suddenly shoving Richelieu away from him and turning his back.

Looking up towards the ceiling he drew in several shaking breaths while flexing his shaking hands,   
"Aramis was to be a Man of God" he whispered, tears starting to prick at his eyes "He was in the seminary before he chose the Sword over the Cloth".

Richelieu held his tongue, letting Treville speak, seeing the pride crumbling from him with each shaking of his shoulders and shudder intake of breath.

"I don`t know if he`ll live" Treville said, letting tears slide down his cheeks unchecked, "I don`t...................he may die, another good, honest Man may die, to join twenty more of his Brothers in the Grave and I.......", he broke off with a sharp intake off breath, his face crumpling in pain as his head lowered to look at the floor  
"I............don`t......................I don`t deserve to live!".

With those last few words Treville broke down completely, Richelieu striding forward and wrapping his arms about him.  
After a few moments of stiffness, Treville turned in his arms, burying his head onto Richelieu`s chest letting himself sob out his grief at last as Richelieu held him, rubbing his back and making soothing noises in his throat.

"How am I supposed to go on?" Treville choked out "How can I live with this guilt?".

Richelieu winced, closing his eyes in a grimance, "You have nothing to feel guilty about" he said "You only followed the Kings orders, the rest was the actions of The Duke and his men, not you".

"No" Treville said lifting his tear streaked face from Richelieu`s shoulder "Maybe you can ease your conscience by such beliefs, but it will not work for me",  
"And here I thought you believe me not to have a conscience" Richelieu counted as Treville wiped his eyes on the sleeves of his borrowed night shirt   
"Do you have one?" he asked, sounding genuinely interested at the notion.

"Yes!" Richelieu stated, "I have a conscience, and a heart, and a soul, and while I do comit terrible acts, they are for the good of France, and her King, though I will bear the weight of those acts on my conscience and heart till the end of my days when God shall become the judge of my soul".

Taking a chance he gently reached out laying a hand on Treville`s cheek, a gesture that could be interpreted many ways, though he meant it as only one, and hoped subconsciously that Treville would know in which was he directed the gesture.

"Besides" he breathed, letting his eyes run over the reddened eyes, and pouting lips of the Captain "D`you think I would go to such lengths to save your life, if I did not have the ability to lo........" he broke off biting the inside of his lip in chastisment at his slip, however Treville`s eyes and widdened and suddenly the Cardinal found a pair of fingers under his chin, lifting his head so he was looking at a stunned Treville.

"You?........." he whispered hardly daring to breath  
"Me" Richelieu said   
"Me?" Treville asked his eyebrows going up towards his hair line  
"You" Richelieu breathed "Always and only you!".

With a single fluid move, Richelieu swept forward and pulled Treville back into his arms, capturing his mouth with his own in a heated kiss of pure passion.

After a second or two of resistance, Treville joined in, his own hands coming up to caress Richelieu`s slim back, up to his hair where his nails sank with a delicious twinge of pain into Richelieu`s scalp, making the Cardinal gasp and lift his swollen mouth from Treville`s, looking down into desire filled blue eyes.

For a few moments the two men stared at each other, neither moving, nore hardly breathing, then in unison, they lunged for each other.

There was little tenderness in their actions, as the stumbled over to the Cardinals bed.

Their kissess, their touches, the ripping of clothing, were all battles of wills, for dominance, neither resisting the other, nore giving in either as they fell upon in the matress, rolling each other over, until Treville was beneath Richelieu, his legs parted, and wrapping about the Cardinal`s waist.

"Have you ever......?" Richelieu did not need to finish the sentence, his meaning was clear enough without, and Treville`s single nod, was all he needed to act once more.

Briefly breaking contact, he leaned over to his bedside table, taking out a small vial of oil and turned back to Treville who had shifted up to rest against the pillows and was watching his every move   
"With your permission Captain?" Richelieu asked tipping oil over his hand   
"Granted Emminence" Treville drawled, making the title sound filthy!, grinning, Richelieu grabbed Treville`s ankles and roughly pulled him down the bed, getting back between his thighs, and lifting them to get access between his buttocks.

He would have taken his time in preparing Treville, tormented him, teased him with his fingers, and perhaps even his mouth.  
But his cock was throbbing with need, his balls aching with pent up desire, that was making him far to far gone for such foreplay, besides, he could always go slow another time, when they were both less weary and worn down by stress, right now, what they both needed was a hard and swift release of their passions, which Richelieu was determind to have.

Hurriedly oiling his precum damp cock, Richelieu prepared to line himself up and enter Treville, only to suddenly find himself flat on his back, with Treville pinning him to the bed delivering a searing kiss and seating himself on the Cardinals rock hard cock, letting out a loud cry of both pleasure and pain.

Treville paused for a few moments, panting as his body adjusted to the feel of Richelieu`s cock inside his body, then he began to move, rocking his hips back and forth, lifting himself up and down on Richelieu`s cock, while tipping his head back letting forth a series of lewd cries and moans, that had Richelieu`s eyes rolling back in his head, his hands gripping almost painfully to the powerful thighs that held him as tight as a cobra!.

The bed creaked and groaned as the two men writhed upon it, their bodies moving in sync with each other, a perfect piston movement, bringing each other most pleasurable sensations that flowed through their bodies to shoot straight down into their cocks and balls, with a loud cry Richelieu spent himself gasping breathlessly as he felt Treville`s inner muscles clamping about him, the Captain continuing to move until he too released, spilling over himself and Richelieu, sagging down to his side, and laying panting beside Richelieu.

After a few moments, Richelieu forced himself to move, grabbing the bed covers and pulling them up over himself and Treville, wrapping himself about Treville`s back his nose burrying into the back of his neck happy to let sleep claim him in the cosy sex stained nest of his bed and new lover.

 

Three weeks later

Richelieu`s face remained impassive as he stood beside Louis, watching as The King formally decorated a weak and bruised, but recovering Aramis for bravery.

To his far left Treville stood, watching the ceramony, a slightly sad, but very proud smile on his face, his eyes shifting mometarily to meet Richelieu`s, the two of them sharing a private wordless comunication of desire that would lead to an assignation later that night. 

The whole world was convinced that Treville had suffered The Sweat, but made a swift recovery after ten days in quarentine at the Palais des Cardinal.

Louis had showed his joy at his Captain`s safe return to his side, having been fearing his loss, and the possible loss of Richelieu aswell, so to have both of his greatest servents returned to him unscathed was a great relief to him.

For ten days the two of them had enjoyed a "Honeymoon" of sorts, under the ruse of illness and quarentine, they had been able to spend their time shut away inside Richelieu`s chambers, learning about each other between bouts of sex and sleep.

When they had emerged after those ten days, they were both more than a little dazed with sex spun cobwebs in their minds, but feeling younger, and lighter than either had in years.

Since their return to duty, they had, had to learn how to adapt their new relationship to fit about their court duties and remain unsuspected by the world as a whole.

Something they were still learning to do.

It was not going to be easy, they would still fight, and stumble, they would still disagree about how to deal with situations, and they would forever have to keep their love a secret from the world.

But through it all they would be together, and together they would make anything possible.


End file.
